The present invention offers women an alternative support garment (i.e., a support garment including bra-like elements) or bra that comfortably lifts and shapes their breasts. The bra choices available today to women are basically limited to several variations on two primary designs, neither of which are considered comfortable or flattering. The bra is intended to control excessive movement of the breasts, which movement can cause discomfort. Conversely, the lack of proper support allows the soft tissue and ligaments of the breasts to stretch, leading to both general discomfort and breast sagging.
The first design is the traditional bra, with two pre-formed cups that attach to an elastic band that encircles the wearer's torso. The bra is typically adjustable in the rear of the torso. The bra and the breasts that it supports are held up by two shoulder straps.
The primary problem with this design is the pressure exerted on a lower region of the wearer's sternum (i.e., a pressure point) by the elastic band. In addition, the weight of the breasts resting in the bottom of the cups moves the joint between the two breast cups inward toward the breastbone, further increasing the force on the lower region of the breastbone. The discomfort is exacerbated by the continuous elastic band that encircles the wearer's torso in two segments hooked together in the back. This band typically has an adjustment mechanism (e.g., a plurality of spaced-apart hooks and mating loops) that allow a very limited adjustment in the length of the band and thus in the tension around the torso. But this adjustment does nothing to address the discomfort in the lower sternum area. While the bra's shoulder straps are also slightly adjustable to create more lift for the breasts, this variation also does nothing to shift the weight of the breasts away from the body and move the pressure point away from the sternum.
To support larger breasts, the cups' are typically reinforced with wire, that also presses uncomfortably against the torso due to the weight of the breasts. The underwires can also cause wear of the garment fabric as they rub against the bra fabric. The underwires may also break through the bra fabric, poking and chafing the wearer's skin and causing extreme discomfort.
The second prior art bra is the shelf bra. Bathing suits and sports bras may incorporate a shelf bra, for example. A shelf is constructed from an elastic band that attaches to fabric that overlays the wearers breasts. There are no pre-formed cups in this bra design. The wearer's breasts fall to the bottom of the shelf where they are supported by the shelf. The shoulder straps may be adjustable but the adjustment range is slight and the effect is one of moving the breasts inward toward the chest wall. The lack of pre-formed cups and the inwardly directed forces around the torso create a flattened breast appearance that is not flattering to the wearer. The shelf bra also does nothing to shape the breasts. Another problem with this bra design is the binding and compression created by the continuous elastic band encircling the torso. There is no adjustment mechanism to relieve tension exerted by the band that holds up the breasts. After wearing the bra for a short period, the wearer may find that it becomes uncomfortable due to the constricting elastic around the torso.
A patent issued to Kaye (U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,787) discloses a bra having drawstrings that tie below the breasts or at least in a line along a bottom surface of the breasts. See Kaye FIG. 3. Kaye is patentably distinct from the present invention, as further described below, as Kaye does not disclose any channels or material strips that extend between the breasts, that scoop under the breast and that extend upwardly along an outer-facing surface of each breast where they are anchored. The Applicants disclose several embodiments that teach these elements. Kaye discloses a continuous material band encircling the wearer's torso. But the Applicants' support garment comprises a non-continuous band of material strips or elastic with an opening in the band in the area of the lower sternum. The Applicants' teach a soft pliable cup formed from a variable length that bounds the cup (in a U-shape). The wearer's breasts are comfortably received within the cup without the use of any underwire supports or drawstrings such as disclosed by Kaye.
Obtaining a properly fitting bra is also problematic due to mass-production of bras in different but standard sizes. Each bra is sized according to chest circumference and symmetrical breast or cup size. Such symmetrical construction does not take into account asymmetries in the wearer's body nor accommodate changes in the woman's body over time (e.g., as a result of natural growth, pregnancy, childbirth, nursing and aging) or variations from standard sizes. A correctly sized bra may not properly fit two women with the same chest circumference and cup size. Thus even a correctly sized bra, based on cup size and chest circumference, will not provide a comfortable and properly supporting fit for all women. Bra adjustability is critical for accommodating variations in a individual's body, variations with time and variations between two individuals both of whom wear the same size bra.
One of the inventors has been unsuccessful in identifying a bra that fits comfortably. She has tried numerous designs and different sizes, but has always experienced discomfort, both with bras having an underwire and bras lacking an underwire, in the area at the base of the sternum between the two cups and local discomfort throughout the sternum area.
These negative experiences with current bra designs inspired the inventors to design a bra of the present invention that incorporates several desirable features, including no or reduced binding in the region of the sternum, a buoyant lift of the breasts away from the chest and in certain embodiments adjustable cup sizes.
In accordance with common practice, the various described features are not drawn to scale, but are drawn to emphasize specific features relevant to the invention. Like reference characters denote like elements throughout the figures and text.